Hydroplane boat

ABSTRACT

A hydroplane boat adapted to have increased fore and aft and lateral stability at minimal planing speeds having a substantially V-shaped hull with a slot positioned at approximately amidships extending outwardly from the keel wherein at said speeds said slot becomes submerged and forming two distinct leading edges aft of the slot to thereby lift the stern and prevent the bow from rising to an unstable position. Mounted about the bow of the hull to the position of the slot is a sponson having a keel substantially parallel to the keel of the hull and a shelf portion positioned between the hull and the sponsons, the shelf portion extending to the stern of the boat whereby upon either sponson becoming submerged a strong lifting action is imparted to that side of the boat tending to right the boat.

United States Patent Richard C. Cole Primary Examiner-'Andrew H. FarrellAttorney-Salvatore G. Militana [72] Inventor 19701 Whispering PinesRoad, Miami, Fla. 33157 1 [2i Appl. No. 33,835

[22] Filed May 1. 1970 [45] Patented Aug. 31, 1971 ABSTRACT: Ahydroplane boat adapted to have increased fore andaft and lateralstability at minimal planing speeds having a substantially V-shaped hullwith a Si ot positioned at approximately amidships extending outwardlyfrom the keel 114/66 5 5 wherein at said speeds said slot becomessubmerged and form- 863.) 1/16 ing two distinct leading edges aft of theslot to thereby lift the Field stem and prevent the bow from risin ll4/66.5 S,

EW .m AD .u L n P mm 0 m mm f YC sm M Hum U UUU g to an unstableposition. ounted about the bow of the hull to the position of 61 theslot is a sponson having a keel substantially parallel to the keel ofthe hull and a shelf portion positioned between the hull and the 1sponsons, the shelf portion extending to the stern of the boat 114/665 Swhereby upon either sponson becoming submerged a strong 114/61 X liftingaction is imparted to that side of the boat tending to right the boat.

S m Tm N Em MAW Pn M m i nTmum mmmwm mDFC wmm U w Hn/ 635 564 057 1 an 61.13 5 2 3 3 PATENIEU AUB31 1971 SHEET 1 0? 2 INVENTOR RICHARD C. CDLE AT TORNEY PATENTED AUB3 I m sum 2 0F 2 mdl INVENTOR RICHARD C. CQLE ATTORNE Y HYDROPLANE BOAT This invention relates to boat structures and ismore particularly directed to hydroplane boats. In order for ahydroplane boat tobe both'efiicient and safe it must have both fore andaft and lateral stability. As for fore and aft stability, it has beenfound that the conventionalhydroplanes are stable when planing atrapid'planing speeds and in relatively smooth waters. The leading edge,thatis, the forward point of contact of the water in the hull providesthe greatest lift during planing condition causing the elevated positionor attitude of the bow known as angle of attack as the hydroplane picksup speed toward its planing speed this angle of attack increases anddecreases rapidly after planing speed has been reached. This changein'attitude before and afteras the correct for fore and aft instabilityand sponsons on either side of the boat to provide added lateralstability. When a hydroplane is planing at slow speeds, the slot whichis positioned at approximately the midportion of the hull will besubmerged so that there will exist two distinct leading edges aft of theslot as well as the normal leading edge forward of the slot.'

These aft leading edges will tend to lift the stern and thereby preventthe bow from lifting to an undesirable and dangerous degree. However, asthe speed of the hydroplane is increased the slot becomes less and lesssubmerged, thereby progressively making the aft leading edges less andless effective until at fast planing speeds, their effect will bepractically nonexistant and the hydroplane being permitted to run at itsnatural angle of attack.

The sponsons which extend on each side from the bow to about amidship,provide lateral stability to the hydroplane. When either one issubmerged in a wave, a gentle lifting action is imparted by it to thatside of the boat. The sponsons are each provided with a keel that isparallel to the keel of the main hull so that the lowest portion of anysubmerged section of the boat is always a straight line in the directionof the path of movement of the boat to make broaching of the boat almostimpossible.

Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide ahydroplane with a slot toprevent fore'and aft instability at minimumplaning speed and sponsons along each side of the hull to preventlateral instability of the boat in dangerous sea conditions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide-a hull of ahydroplane boat with a step or slot at approximately the middle of theboat whereby at minimum planing speeds, the angle of attack aft of theslot will tend to lift the stern, and thereby prevent the bow fromrising to a dangerous angle wherein the boat would be extremelysensitive to wave impact.

A further object of the present invention is to'provide a hydroplanewith sponsons on either side of the bow extending to about midshipswhereby upon the dipping of either side of the boat into the water orheels the sponson under water to effect a righting action causing thesubmerged side to rise until on an even plan with the other sponson.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming apart of thisspecification, with the undemanding, however, that the invention is notconfined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings butmay be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications markno material departure from the salient features of the invention asexpressed in theappended claims. In the drawings: FIG. 1 is aperspective view of a hydroplane hull constructe'd in accordance with myinvention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan'view.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional'view taken along the line 5"5 ofFIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals are used to designatesimilar parts throughout the several views, the numerallO refers to ahydroplane boat constructed in accordance with my invention.

The hydroplane l0 incorporates two constructural features not foundinthe conventional hydroplanes, namely, a slot S positionedapproximately amidships of the hull of the boat 10 and sponsons Wmounted on each side of the boat 10.

The hydroplane boat 10'is otherwise conventional inconstructionconsisting of a convex hull 11 at whose lowest andmidposition is a keel 12. The keel 12 extends from a bow 13 to a stem 14but is interrupted at the slots as at 15 where an upwardly extendingstep portion 16 is positioned. The slot S extends forwardly' on eachside of the keel 12 terminating at the position of the ends of sponsonsW.

At the bow 13 of the hydroplane 10 there is an arcuate prow portion Phaving a vertical wall 17 with a horizontal shelf 18 joining the wall 17and the hull 11. The prow P extends from the bow of the boat 10 on eachside thereof with the vertical wall 17 and the shelf 18 each increasingin height and width, respectively to the position at which the sponsonsW commence. At this position the vertical wall 17 on each side increaseconsiderably in'height, while the shelf becomes substantially constantin width to the position of the slot S where the sponson W'terminates asat 19 and the lower edge of the sidewall 17 flares upwardly as at 20 tobecome smaller in height remaining approximately constant in heightalong the side'of the boat to the stem 14. The shelf 18 continues beyondthe slot S terminating at the stem 14.

The sponsons W consist of a V-shaped member each having a keel 25 thatis parallel to the keel 12 of the boat 10 with outwardly flaringsidewalls 26 and 27 extending upwardly. The sidewall 26 extends to theshelf 18 while the outer sidewall 27 extends to a ledge 28 that joinsthe vertical wall 17 of the boat 10.

As the hydroplane 10 is brought to planing speed by increasing its speedthe bow P will rise in the water as the leading edge, that is theposition at which the hull of the boat 10 engages the water, recedestoward the stern 14 of the boat. After the boat 10 has reached and pastits planing speed the leading edge will move in the opposite directionaway from the stern 14 of the boat 10 as the bow P will assume a lowerangle above the water. It is at this minimal planing speed that the humpoccurs and the boat is at its most sensitive and vulnerable position towave action and at its most unstable condition.

By'providing the slot S on the hydroplane 10, at minimal planing speedthe slot S becomes submerged giving two distinct leading edges aft ofthe slot S in addition to the normal leading edge forward of the slot S.These leading edges tend to lift the stern and prevent the bow P fromrising to'an undesirable degree. As the speed of the boat 10 isincreased, the slot S becomes less and less submerged, therebyprogressively making the aft leading edges less and less effective untilat fast planing speeds their effect is practically negligible, therebyallowing the boat to run at its natural angle of attack. At the sametime, the sponsons W being provided with the shelf 18 that extend to thestem 14 of the boat llljmpart a lifting action to the stern of the boatat slow planing speeds as well as providing lateral stability to theboat 10. As either sponson W is submerged in water by the heeling of theboat in a wave, a strong lifting action is imparted to that side of theboat tending to right the boat 10. Since the keels 25 of the sponsons Ware parallel to the keel 12 of the boat 10, the boat cannot broach.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A hydroplane boat having a substantially V-shaped hull, a bow, astern and a keel extending substantially from said bow to said stern,slotted means mounted on'said hull at substantially amidships of saidhull, said slotted means having a substantially vertical wall extendingfrom said keel to the sides of said hull at a forwardly extendingoblique angle, said lower

1. A hydroplane boat having a substantially V-shaped hull, a bow, astern and a keel extending substantially from said bow to said stern,slotted means mounted on said hull at substantially amidships of saidhull, said slotted means having a substantially vertical wall extendingfrom said keel to the sides of said hull at a forwardly extendingoblique angle, said lower portion of said vertical wall engaging saidkeel extending to said bow while said upper portion of said verticalwall engaging said keel extending to said stern, sponson means mountedon said sides of said hull extending from adjacent to said bow to saidslotted means, said sponsons each having a keel substantially parallelto said keel of said hull and shelf means extending from said bow tosaid stern and positioned between said hull and said sponson means.